I’ll have the tuna melt, without the coal, please …

The connection between coal power and tuna fish sandwiches is far from obvious. Coal comes out of big holes in the ground. Tuna comes out of the depths of the sea. However, like the old saying goes, if you look closely enough at any one thing, you will eventually see the entire Universe. In this case, you don’t have to go all that far. Coal contains mercury and burning coal in power plants releases mercury into the atmosphere where it finds its way into the ocean and the global food chain. No part of the planet is immune.

To learn more, take a look at This Much Mercury … How the coal industry poisoned your tuna sandwich by Dashka Slater (Sierra Magazine, Nov/Dec 2011). And, if you’re the kind of person who enjoys a tuna sandwich or sushi several times a week, spend a little time studying the But What Fish Can I Eat? graphic to find fish with lower mercury loads. The full-size image is a PDF and can be printed. Your brain will thank you.